The Italian capital has turned into a “real jungle” due to the increasing numbers of snakes, oriental horse wasps, seagulls and rats, a Romanian zoologist says. The Guardian writes.
Andrea Lonerti has been dealing with dangerous animal hunting in Rome for a long time, but this summer she has had so much work that she says she has been inundated with calls, especially about snake sightings.
He said the snake population increased dramatically during the winter because the temperatures were so warm. If it had been cold, they would not have survived. He added that the snakes came to the city from their natural habitat, because there is a lot of food waste here, and where there is food waste, there are rats – their main prey.
However, it’s not just snakes that give Lonerty work: the oriental horse wasp, a species of wasp that migrated from North Africa and Southeast Asia, has also had a strong presence in Rome since 2021. He said they were initially spotted in the Monteverde neighborhood, but soon their nests began to multiply in the corners of window shutters, ventilation vents, air conditioning equipment, and even in the cracks of ancient monuments in the city center.
Image: Image Deposit
According to the specialist, the reason for the animal invasion is clear: high temperatures and garbage. He said:
Rome really needs to get its hands on waste management or we'll see more snakes and wasps, not to mention rats and seagulls – Rome has more seagulls than a nearby coastal city.
